JULY 12, 2007

Shirt threat to F1 money supply

It is worth noting something that could have an important effect on the way in which sports sponsorship money is spent in the future. The international football federation (FIFA) is asking its strategy committee to consider the implications of authorising sponsorship on the shirts of the national teams involved in the World Cup soccer competition.

At the moment shirt sponsorships are banned in the World Cup and FIFA President Sepp Blatter is opposed to the idea, arguing that there is already too much advertising "clutter" in the World Cup - which has led to the decision to reduce the number of partners involved - and that this group of sponsors want their investment to be protected.

Although FIFA does filter some of the money down through the sport, there is considerable pressure from the national associations that make up FIFA to change the rules because many of them struggle to fund their national teams and develop the game in their countries.